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CHAPTER 5. For every high priest taken from among men, on behalf of men

is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own 95.952 sins as well as for those of the people. And no one takes this honor upon himself, but he is called by God. Making a comparison of the covenants, he begins with the priests. And he works it thus: that those of the old covenant were from men, but he of the new, from the Holy Spirit, even though he became man. And the one is beset with weakness, but the other remained without sin; For no deceit was found in his mouth. Just as someone flaying the victims makes all that is inside visible, so to God all things lie open and visible. Just as Aaron also; so also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest, but he who said to him, You are my Son. Here again he heals another matter, that he was sent from God. Which Christ said when reasoning with the Jews up and down, I have not come of my own accord. Today I have begotten you; as he says also in another place, You are a priest forever. This is a preparation for his being ordained by God. According to the order of Melchizedek; who in the days of his flesh, offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and was heard for his godly fear. Because he was a priest of the gentiles, because through bread and wine he offered up the sacrifice. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You have come to need milk, and not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. This demonstrates a solicitous care, and the excess of love; for he was interceding on behalf of the two peoples. But these things are of the economy.

CHAPTER 6. Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity,

not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, a teaching about baptisms, He speaks of the beginning, the foundation through faith; but perfection, the building up through good works. 95.953 and of the laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened. For thus they received the Spirit. and have tasted the heavenly gift. That is, of the remission of sins. and have shared in the Holy Spirit. which we have through the gift of grace. and have tasted the goodness of the word of God. The teaching of the confession. and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away again. He says this, because those who were baptized performed miracles. For then those who were baptized received gifts of grace, so as to work mighty acts. to be restored to repentance. That is, through repentance. But he says this, not as if repentance were cast out; may it not be; but as

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ΚΕΦΑΛ. Εʹ. Πᾶς γὰρ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀναλαμβανόμενος, ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων

καθίσταται τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ἵνα προσφέρῃ δῶρά τε καὶ θυσίας ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν, μετριοπαθεῖν δυνάμενος τοῖς ἀγνοοῦσι καὶ πλανωμένοις· ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτὸς περίκειται ἀσθένειαν, καὶ διὰ ταύτην ὀφείλει, καθὼς περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ, οὕτω καὶ περὶ 95.952 ἑαυτοῦ προσφέρειν ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν. Καὶ οὐχ ἑαυτῷ τις λαμβάνει τὴν τιμὴν, ἀλλὰ καλούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Σύγκρισιν ποιούμενος τῶν διαθηκῶν, ἀπὸ ἱερέων ἄρχεται. Ἐργάζεται δὲ αὐτὴν οὕτως· ὅτι οἱ μὲν τῆς παλαιᾶς, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἦσαν, ὁ δὲ τῆς καινῆς, ἐκ Πνεύματος ἁγίου, εἰ καὶ ἄνθρωπος γέγονεν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν περίκειται ἀσθένειαν, ὁ δὲ ἀναμάρτητος ἔμεινεν· Οὐ γὰρ ηὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ. Ὥσπερ ἐκδέρων τις τὰ ἱερεῖα, πάντα τὰ ἔνδον δῆλα ποιεῖ, οὕτως τῷ Θεῷ δῆλα πρόκειται πάντα. Καθάπερ καὶ Ἀαρών· οὕτω δὲ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς, οὐχ ἑαυτὸν ἐδόξασε γενηθῆναι ἀρχιερέα, ἀλλ' ὁ λαλήσας πρὸς αὐτὸν, Υἱός μου εἶ σύ. Ἐνταῦθα ἕτερον πάλιν θεραπεύει, ὅτι ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἀπέσταλται. Ὃ ἄνω καὶ κάτω Ἰουδαίοις διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγεν ὁ Χριστὸς, Ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ οὐκ ἐλήλυθα. Ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε· καθὼς καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ λέγει, Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Τοῦτο προκατασκευή ἐστι τοῦ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ χειροτονηθῆναι. Κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ· ὃς ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ δεήσεις τε καὶ ἱκετηρίας πρὸς τὸν δυνάμενον σώζειν αὐτὸν ἐκ θανάτου, μετὰ κραυγῆς ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ δακρύων προσενέγκας, καὶ εἰσακουσθεὶς ἀπὸ τῆς εὐλαβείας. Ὅτι τῶν ἐθνῶν ἱερεὺς ἦν, ὅτι διὰ ἄρτου, καὶ οἴνου τὴν θυσίαν ἀνέφερεν. Καίπερ ὢν υἱὸς, ἔμαθεν ἀφ' ὧν ἔπαθε τὴν ὑπακοὴν, καὶ τελειωθεὶς ἐγένετο τοῖς ὑπακούουσιν αὐτῷ πᾶσιν αἴτιος σωτηρίας αἰωνίου, προσαγορευθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀρχιερεὺς κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ· περὶ οὗ πολὺς ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος, καὶ δυσερμήνευτος λέγειν, ἐπεὶ νωθροὶ γεγόνατε ταῖς ἀκοαῖς. Καὶ γὰρ ὀφείλοντες εἶναι διδάσκαλοι διὰ τὸν χρόνον, πάλιν χρείαν ἔχετε τοῦ διδάσκειν ὑμᾶς τίνα τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν λογίων τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ γεγόνατε χρείαν ἔχοντες γάλακτος, καὶ οὐ στερεᾶς τροφῆς. Πᾶς γὰρ ὁ μετέχων γάλακτος, ἄπειρος λόγου δικαιοσύνης· νήπιος γάρ ἐστι. Τελείων δέ ἐστιν ἡ στερεὰ τροφὴ, τῶν διὰ τὴν ἕξιν τὰ αἰσθητήρια γεγυμνασμένα ἐχόντων πρὸς διάκρισιν καλοῦ τε καὶ κακοῦ. Τοῦτο κηδεμονικὸν παρίστησι, καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης τὴν ὑπερβολήν· ἱκέτευεν γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῶν δύο λαῶν. Ταῦτα δὲ τῆς οἰκονομίας ἐστίν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ςʹ. ∆ιὸ ἀφέντες τὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγον, ἐπὶ τὴν τελειότητα φερώμεθα,

μὴ πάλιν θεμέλιον καταβαλλόμενοι μετανοίας, ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἔργων, καὶ πίστεως ἐπὶ Θεὸν, βαπτισμῶν διδαχῆς, Ἀρχήν φησι, τὸν διὰ τῆς πίστεως θεμέλιον· τελειότητα δὲ, τὴν δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν ἐποικοδομήν. 95.953 Ἐπιθέσεώς τε χειρῶν, ἀναστάσεώς τε νεκρῶν, καὶ κρίματος αἰωνίου. Καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσωμεν, ἐάνπερ ἐπιτρέπῃ ὁ Θεός. Ἀδύνατον γὰρ τοὺς ἅπαξ φωτισθέντας. Οὕτω γὰρ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐλάμβανον. Γευσαμένους τε τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς ἐπουρανίου. Τουτέστι, τῆς ἀφέσεως τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. Καὶ μετόχους γενηθέντας Πνεύματος ἁγίου. Οὗ ἔχομεν διὰ τοῦ χαρίσματος. Καὶ καλὸν γευσαμένους Θεοῦ ῥῆμα. Τὴν διδασκαλίαν τῆς ὁμολογίας. ∆υνάμεις τε μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, καὶ παραπεσόντας πάλιν. Τοῦτό φησι, διὰ τὸ θαύματα τοὺς βαπτιζομένους ἐπιτελεῖν. Τότε γὰρ οἱ βαπτιζόμενοι χαρίσματα ἐλάμβανον, ὥστε ἐνεργεῖν δυνάμεις. Ἀνακαινίζεσθαι εἰς μετάνοιαν. Τουτέστι, διὰ μετανοίας. Τοῦτο δὲ λέγει, οὐχ ὡς ἐκβεβλημένης τῆς μετανοίας· μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλ' ὡς